This invention relates generally to the art of electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector which has a terminal pin stabilizing plate that is movable between protecting and mating positions by a complementary mating connector.
Generally, an electrical connector typically includes an insulating or dielectric housing which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals having contact portions for engaging the terminals of a complementary mating connector. In many electrical connectors, the terminals have male, or pin, portions for engaging the terminals of the complementary mating connector. For instance, the mating connector will have female or receptacle terminals for receiving the pin portions of the terminals of the first connector. Unfortunately, problems are encountered in bending or otherwise damaging the terminal pin portions. This problem is magnified with the ever-increasing miniaturization of electrical connectors, whereby such terminal pin portions are very small components of the connector assembly.
Efforts have been made to provide protection for the pin portions of terminals as described above. For instance, pin alignment, or stabilizing, plates have been used, with such plates having a plurality of holes for receiving the terminal pin portions to maintain the alignment and spacing of the pin portions and prevent bending thereof or other damage thereto. The alignment or stabilizing plates may be removed or remain in place before the connector is mated, or it has been known to provide an arrangement whereby the mating connector moves the plate from an outer protecting position, inwardly along the pin portions to an inner mating position. Unfortunately, once the plate has been moved inwardly, the pin portions no longer are protected should the connectors be unmated. This creates problems in electrical connector assemblies wherein the respective connectors are used in applications that require cyclical mating and unmating of the respective connectors.
The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a connector and a connector assembly utilizing a pin stabilizing plate that is movably disposed on one of the connectors of the connector assembly and which is moved back and forth between protecting and mating positions in response to mating and unmating of a pair of connectors.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly with a new and improved terminal pin stabilizing plate system.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector assembly includes a first electrical connector having a dielectric housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals which have projecting, male pin portions. A stabilizing plate is provided that includes a plurality of apertures that receive the terminal pin portions. The stabilizing plate is movable from a protecting position generally at distal ends of the pin portions to a mating position spaced inwardly of the distal ends, in which the free ends of the terminal pin portions are exposed for mating with corresponding terminals of an opposing connector.
A second electrical connector is mateable with the first electrical connector and includes a mating portion for engaging the pin stabilizing plate and moving the plate rearwardly from its protecting position to its mating position in response to mating of the connectors. Complementary interengaging return means are provided between the second electrical connector and the pin stabilizing plate for moving the plate forwardly, back from its mating position to its protecting position in response to unmating of the connectors.
As disclosed herein, complementary interengaging stop means are provided between the first electrical connector and the pin stabilizing plate to prevent the plate from moving beyond its protecting position when the plate is moved back from its mating position to the protecting position. In the preferred embodiment, the stop means include abutting shoulders disposed on the first connector and on the pin stabilizing plate.
According to one principal aspect of the invention, the complementary interengaging return means may include a flexible latch arm disposed on one of either the second electrical connector or the pin stabilizing plate which is engageable with a latch boss disposed on one of the other of the second electrical connector or pin stabilizing plate. The flexible latch arm has a first angled surface for engaging and riding over the latch boss, whereby the latch arm will snap into locking engagement with the latch boss upon mating of the first and second connectors. The flexible latch arm further preferably has a second angled surface for engaging and riding over the latch boss upon unmating of the two connectors. A pair of the flexible latch arms are provided for engaging opposite sides of the latch boss, which latch boss is preferably diamond-shaped so as to define two pairs of angled surfaces that are engageable with the respective angled surfaces of the pair of flexible latch arms. Still further, in the preferred embodiment, two spaced-apart pairs of the flexible latch arms are provided on the second electrical connector, with a pair of spaced-apart bosses provided on the pin stabilizing plate.
According to another aspect of the invention, the connector housing of the first electrical connector includes an elongated guide wall located amidst the pin portions of the terminals and projecting in the same direction as the pin portions. The pin stabilizing plate includes an elongated opening embracing the elongated guide wall for guiding the plate in its movement between the protecting and mating positions.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.